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Cumbria's Police and Crime Commissioner, Richard Rhodes, says that he fully supports the decision to invite Stuart Hyde back to work:

“I fully support the decision of Temporary Chief Constable, Bernard Lawson to invite Mr Stuart Hyde back to Cumbria Constabulary as his Deputy until Mr Hyde's retirement in December.

“As Police and Crime Commissioner, my position on the events of the last few months is clearly outlined in detail in the various documents issued on 27th August and that, together with my conclusions, remain unchanged. I have nothing to add.

"However, it is important to appreciate that that view was relevant to the post of Chief Constable, who is held to account by the Police and Crime Commissioner.

“What will happen now is that Mr Hyde’s return to work in his previous role as Deputy Chief Constable will be managed by Mr Lawson in his capacity of Temporary Chief Constable until such time as the process of recruiting a permanent Chief Constable for Cumbria can take place.”

Stuart Hyde says he is pleased to be able to return to work as Deputy Chief Constable:

"This has been a very difficult time for me and my family. I am pleased that this has been brought to an end by Bernard Lawson and that I can return to an important role as Deputy Chief Constable and look forward to working with him and the officers and staff of the Constabulary.”

“I am glad that a clear line has been drawn under the last 12 months and that I can continue contributing to policing and making our society safer as I have done for nearly 30years.

"Although I could have retired on the 31st August after 30 years’ service I aim to leave the Constabulary by the end of December.”

“I have always worked hard for the people of Cumbria and have made a significant contribution to policing in the past and I hope, and expect, this to continue in the future.

"I have learnt a great deal from this ordeal and the comments about my performance that were reflected in the recommendations. I recognise fully the need to improve the way I manage myself and my accountability.”

“I look forward to the opportunity to rebuild relationships and develop an innovative technology strategy for the force and helping to improve policing nationally.”

The announcement came from the temporary Chief Constable, Bernard Lawson who released the following statement:

“Following the publication last week of the Executive Summary into the conduct investigation and suspension of Temporary Chief Constable, Stuart Hyde, the Constabulary has had a great deal of information to digest and decisions to take in a relatively short space of time.

“This has been a difficult time for all concerned and I would like to pay tribute to the patience and understanding shown by the Constabulary’s workforce during this time and also to the public of Cumbria, who I know simply want us to focus on keeping the county as safe and as free from crime as possible.

“On Friday, 30th August 2013, Stuart Hyde’s contract as Temporary Chief Constable expired which meant he reverted back to Deputy Chief Constable and therefore under the responsibility of the Office of the Chief Constable.

“The role comes with considerable legislative powers, operational independence and the overall responsibility for the Constabulary including direct management of all Chief Officers, including the Deputy Chief Constable.

“The role of Deputy Chief Constable is different and greater controls can be used by the Chief Constable in dealing with any performance issues.

“Having very carefully considered the findings of the independent Executive Summary, I have concluded that whilst Mr Hyde’s behaviour did fall short of what the police service and the public should demand from a senior public servant, I do believe that in his role as Deputy Chief Constable, Mr Hyde should return to work, albeit under a detailed plan to ensure lessons are learnt from what has been identified during the investigation.

"Mr Hyde has agreed that he has learnt a great deal from the experience and accepts the recommended management advice.”

– Bernard Lawson, Temporary Chief Constable, Cumbria Constabulary

Mr Lawson also noted that Mr Hyde indicated that he intended to retire from 31st December 2013.